Slide
by Leishe
Summary: Her happiness was his happiness, even if it killed him. But sometimes, things change... [subtle YutaMaya, one-sided YutaNina.]


**Slide**

By Leishe

_**Even on a day like this when you're crawling on the floor**_

**_Reaching for the phone to ring anyone who knows you anymore_**

The boy lay on the dark blue blanket like some kind of corpse, only he breathed. It was a Thursday, and things were going where they usually went. Wind blew into his open window, standing high above the rest of the kingdom, while brown birds chirruped to an invisible melody.

Light brown bangs brushed across his pale face, as he murmured her name in his sleep. It was a name that had been burned into his mind, ever tormenting him.

"Ni…na…"

_**It's all right to make mistakes, you're only human**_

_**Inside everybody's hiding something**_

They knew it was odd, but that was just the way things were. His change in behaviour wasn't that obvious anyway, and people seldom noticed depressed boys, lingering in deserted parks, staring at the small swing set built for children.

The air was cold there.

Yuta remembered the day very clearly, the summer before she left them…before she left him. It was a Tuesday.

"_I'm gonna try my best to become princess!"_

She had said it with such determination, such passion, that his hopes of her returning his feelings were diminished.

_Nina turned to him, her eyes full of dreams._

"_Will you help me, Yuta?"_

"…"

"_Will you?"_

_His eyes flickered to the ground, not wanting to look at her. _

"…_yes." _Your happiness is my happiness

_**Staring at the same four walls, have you tried to help yourself**_

When he had visited Shuei, about a year after Maya's engagement, and three months after she ran away from it, Tsujiai and Nina were dating.

Ayu had seen him, looking at Yuta with large grey eyes full of sympathy. Or was it empathy? The tall girl's relationship with Kaji never lasted long, as most relationships based on childhood crushes never did.

And Yuta? The pain he hid inside him just worsened a little bit more, and the voice at the back of his head just grew a little bit louder.

Let her go.

_**It's all right to make mistakes you're only human**_

_**Inside everybody's hiding something**_

The boy stirred, as the copper-colored bell swung back and forth, inside the tower. His grey-green eyes opened, and he was awake. The wind rushed into his window, as thunder rumbled. It was still cold.

It was a Saturday.

Yuta stumbled off his desk, papers flying everywhere. The air was tinged with the yellow and brown tastes of fall, and he felt it in his mouth. His head hurt like hell, as one face flashed infinitely in his mind.

_Nina smiled. The pink cherry blossoms fell around her. "Ohayo, Yuta-kun!" _

Someone knocked softly on his door.

_**The rings around your eyes they don't hide, that you need to get some rest**_

"Master?" It was Odette, the maid. Yuta stood up, his head spinning.

"What?" asked a raspy, dry voice.

"Your sister…she's calling you…"

He walked down the stairs, searching for an aspirin. His head ached too much for him to cast a proper healing spell. The lights in the living room surprised him; Kira was supposed to be somewhere else.

"Yuta."

He looked up at the woman, who looked back at him hard. Her eyes were deep-set, serious green orbs. She didn't call him 'little brother'. Yuta felt dread rush inside of him.

"What?" he asked, for the second time that day. It seemed that the world was giving him statements without reasons.

"Get out."

_**Take time to catch your breath and choose your moment**_

_**Don't slide**_

Yuta stared at the front door of the Kirishima residence. Part of him was shocked, and part of him beaten-up, like he was extremely tired. The pale-faced boy stood there for a moment, before shuffling gloomily down the sidewalk.

From the window, Kira watched the image of her younger brother fade away into the grey afternoon. She hoped that she'd done the right thing. It may have been harsh, throwing Yuta out of the house like that, but nothing else could lug him around but force.

The young woman sighed. She ran a hand through her hair, murmuring words.

"And to think a girl caused all this…my little brother is deeper than he seems."

_**Even at a time like this when the morning seems so far**_

"_I love you."_

_The boy smiled, as he bent to kiss her. The girl with honey-colored eyes smiled back at him, her cheeks reddening cutely. A name escaped her lips, as she voiced it in adoration._

"_Tsujiai…"_

The name was not his. Her kiss was not for him. It was all destined, and yet, Yuta felt like there was something that he could have done. Bottling all these feelings of misery, and thoughts of what could have been inside of him was a torturous effort.

But he would hold it all in, because if he didn't, he would ruin her happiness.

"Your happiness is my happiness."

Even if it killed him.

_**Think that pain belongs to you but it's happened to us all**_

The rain fell, softly at first, and then harder. Yuta's clothes were getting drenched, but he didn't seem to mind. The asphalt was getting slippery with puddles, and its surface slick and black.

Yuta slipped, and collided into something. And that something slapped him. Hard.

"What the hell are you doing?" It rang through him, stunning him as a shockwave would.

He recognized that cold, angry voice, but not at first because it had disappeared a long time ago.

He looked at her, and fell into her dark, beautiful eyes.

"Maya…?"

She glared at him steadily, and Yuta saw.

"_You are more beautiful than the sun, more precious than emeralds, I love you, Maya."_

_She smiled sadly at the man who had been her true love. How she wished that what he had said was all true, but alas, it was not._

'_Your lips speak these words, yet your heart tells me otherwise.'_

_He didn't love her. What a fool she had been._

"You're getting wet," said Maya. Yuta did not reply. She held out her black parasol to him. Water dripped off the ends.

He stared at her, silent for a moment, before Yuta broke into a grin. He nodded, and took the umbrella from her, holding it over Maya's head. He stood next to her, and she saw him.

Maya's glare softened, and she looked at Yuta, her long, penetrating gaze locking onto his.

The young man drew back at the emotions in her; anger, love and bitterness, but one thing he could not fathom was…understanding.

A raindrop landed on his cheek.

"Stop it." She said simply, and he could barely hear her.

"Stop smiling. Stop pretending."

Yuta's impish grin died away, as he heard her words. All things faded, revealing the face of a sad, sad young boy, who was tired of being abused by his own heart.

_**It's all right to make mistakes you're only human**_

_**Inside everybody's hiding something**_

Maya knew. It was not only his pain, but hers as well. To have loved and given your heart away, only to have it broken again and again. It was a sad, sad thing, but that was just the chorus of life's cruel, never ending ballad.

The raindrops fell harder, and came down fatter. Overhead, the thunder rumbled, as a think mist settled comfortably over the houses. The air was humid and shivering.

They stood there on the sidewalk, unmoving, silent. Neither Yuta nor Maya knew why, really.

"_Yuta-kun, how come Maya-chan doesn't come out and play anymore?" An eight-year old Nina dug her yellow plastic shovel further into the sandbox, while her pigtails swished in the breeze._

_Beside her, Yuta paused thoughtfully, before running over a sandcastle with his toy bulldozer. He shrugged._

"_Her dad won't let her, I think."_

"_But why?"_

"_I dunno…maybe 'coz her mom's sick, or something."_

_Nina's eyes grew wide. "Really?"_

"_I heard my mom telling Kira yesterday."_

"_Mmm…"_

_A week later, Nina and Yuta saw Maya again, being led by the hand of her governess, following a line of many grown-ups. Mr. Orihara was nowhere, and everyone was wearing black._

_Mrs. Kirishima told them that they weren't allowed to talk to her at this time, and that they should leave her alone._

She turned to face him, and Yuta saw the same hollow expression in her dark eyes as he had seen it during her mother's funeral. Empty, cold…pained. Were these the only things that she held inside her?

Nothing but pain?

_Surely, life had to go on._

Under the black umbrella, Maya smiled, suddenly. She looked straight at Yuta.

"Exactly."

"Huh?" he replied, but she had already taken off, walking briskly, and leaving him in the rain.

"Maya!" he called after her, and ran towards her, catching up in seconds. Whirling around, the blonde witch looked at him with irritation.

"You fool. Come on, we're going to my house."

_**Take time to catch your breath and choose your moment**_

_**Don't slide**_

The hot chocolate surprised him. It was thick; delicious. Yuta looked over at Maya, sipping her own drink. She was quiet as ever, but thoughtful. Years had changed her, not physically, but probably on the inside. Maya caught him staring. She glared at him, and the young man winced.

"What's wrong with you? Finish your coffee." Her tone was steely, coated in ice, but Yuta found himself all right with that. After all, no matter how she changed, Maya would still be Maya, plain and simple.

A grin crept up his face.

"Maya?"

"What."

The rain had stopped, revealing a beautiful sunset of orange, gold and violet.

"Thanks."

He walked towards her, bent down, and kissed her on the cheek. Her skin was cold to his lips, but Yuta didn't care. He took in her scent; willow, violets, and…chocolate. Maya stiffened.

He still loved her, Nina, and would continue to do so until he was nothing but grey mist. She loved the prince as well, and as the legend says, true love never dies.

But maybe, somehow…things could be picked up and put back together again, but not in the same way. The pieces of a broken heart change over time, and won't fit together the same way they once did.

Could two broken ones become a whole?

"Maya."

Her head swung in his direction. Yuta was outside the door, looking at her, smiling.

"You coming? The sky's fantastic."

She paused. Two broken pieces fitting together, to become a whole? Maybe. Then again, the possibilities were endless.

"…yeah."

**_You brought this on yourself and it's high time you left it there_**

**_Lie here and rest._**

A/N: What a procrastinator I am…geez…anyways, this was supposed to be semi angst, semi YutaMaya. Hope you guys like it, I had to distract myself from vandalized erasers for short moment there. :P Speaking of which, I am officially sick of "Wag na Wag Mong Sasabihin." Go Parokya!

**disclaimer: the song 'Slide' belongs to Dido Armstrong.**


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